When he was sixty-two, L.M. Snavely, who lived near Lititz, Pennsylvania, began thinking about expanding his water powered milling operation by adding electrically driven machinery. After nearly a decade of contemplation, discussion, investigation, and even a trip to Europe for on-the-spot observations, Snavely, at seventy-two, invested close to three hundred thousand dollars to purchase and install the most modern milling equipment.

At seventy-two? We wondered why as well.

For generations Snavely’s flour has been highly respected in the limited geographical area he has supplied. Special orders have been filled for individuals from New Mexico, Colorado, and Iowa. Now, after altering sixty years of habit, the product Snavely has dedicated his life to will be more widely available.

"We are not trying to sell a price-reduced commodity to a mass market,” he explained to us, as we stood on the worn stone steps of his mill, "we are selling a quality product at a fair price to a quality-aware market.”